2015-11-14

In the wake of the attacks in Paris last night, I once again have reason to write a few words on the corrupting influence religion has on the pursuit of truth and goodness in the world.

Dogmatism
& irrationality make people immune to reason. Religion allows
people to rationalize their selfishness as something holy, and hardens
them to the erstwhile human capacity for compassion and empathy.

When
extremists claim divine sanction for their barbaric acts of murderous
tribalism, we can call this false piety if we like, or claim that it’s a corruption of
the ‘true’ intent of religion; but this is just marketing. With deft and
repeated application of the ‘No True Scotsman’ fallacy, apologists for
religion continually redefine religious faith in such a way as to
exculpate it from all blame.

And yet
the extremists sincerely believe that they are doing what is right and holy; the particularly religious character of this belief both shields it from
criticism and makes it extremely resistant to change. If we are to make progress against the ideologies of fear, intolerance, hatred, and violence, we must have the courage to attack the irrationality and dogmatism that lie at the root.